Australia and the War in the Air

From the earliest days of the Great War Australians volunteered to fight in the air - warfare's newest arena, and one that would transform the nature of military operations. In the squadrons of the Australian Flying Corps and with Britain's flying services, Australian airmen fought in campaigns that spanned the length and breadth of the First World War; between 1914-18 they served in the Middle East, the Mediterranean and on the Western Front.

By 1919 over 4000 Australians had participated in the air war. Modest compared to some of the other British dominions, Australia's part had been the most apparent. Whereas the other dominion governments opted to provide manpower to serve with British squadrons, the Commonwealth's insistence on a distinctly national contribution ensured recognition for Australia's contribution to the empire's effort in the air.

This book examines Australia's role in history's first major air war. Unlike previous accounts, which focus on the airmen of the Australian Flying Corps in isolation, this study conceives the Australian part as one of an imperial - and international - whole. In addition to using Australian involvement as a case study to analyse the impact air power had on military operations, this study also addresses aspects of organisation, training, administration and command - as well as the imperial politics and strategic issues that contextualised dominion participation in the war.

Drawing on archival records in Australasia, Europe and North America, Australia and the War in the Air provides a fresh perspective on Australia's involvement in the Great War and a revaluation of air power's early influence on warfare. Other titles in this series: Volume 2: The War with the Ottoman Empire Volume 3: The War with Germany Volume 4: The War at Home Volume 5: The Australian Imperial Force

About the Author

Dr Michael Molkentin teaches History at Shellharbour Anglican College and is a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict and Society at the University of New South Wales, Canberra. He received his doctorate from the University of New South Wales. This is his third book.